Wow, bio logging more in the past couple of days than I do in months usually.
Just had a funny phone call. My middle son, Brennan, spent the night at his friend's house. His dad just called me to get the approval for something.
Apparently Brennan and his friend Connor dug up his father's (Paul) old laptop that was "Dead". and were managing to breathe some new life into it. So my son asked if he could take the laptop home to try to get it fully recovered (including recovering old data on the flaky hard drive). So his Paul asked if "The Mad Scientist can take the laptop home to work on it". LOL!
Fitting title in some ways though. My middle son loves astronomy and biology and computers. He's 9 and teaching himself Java and C++ programming languages, and teaching himself German as well.
That's why, when I was buying "techie/geeky" humorous t-shirts for my kids, I bought him the "Science is Fun" shirt from jinx.com:
http://www.jinx.com/men/shirts/geek/science_is_fun.html?catid=1#bigdesign



Note they two children ore genetically modifying a rat (see the ear on it's back?). LOL!
Very apropo. ;-)


School is waaaaaaay too easy for him, even now with him in the most advanced classes they can offer him. It's good that he's not totally bored with school (yet), and finds ways to stay engaged.
Anyhow, that was the first I had heard someone refer to him with such a title, and thought it funny enough to share. Maybe not of interest to anyone though?
Cheers!

Well. from my previous posting about my middle son, nicknamed by someone "The Mad Scientist", to his progenitor (me), that some have said I should become a professor, so that I better fit the cliche of "The Absent Minded Professor".

I have a very odd memory. Some things stick very well, especially complex concepts and ideas and how many pieces fit together (especially "big picture" and long term "vision"). As well as the 20-30 changing passwords I use for different levels of security (and which I completely replace most over time), or certain tcp/ip addresses and such. But I'm the kind of person who forgets my glasses all the time (even hanging in my shirt or once in my own hand), or my keys, or left the car running in the driveway all morning, or any number of "spacey" things. I get quite perturbed with myself, while most others are rather amused.

Prior to usable PDA's I was frequently completely forgetting appointments. I had a dayplanner, but kept forgetting it, or forgetting to look inside it to check my schedule periodically, since it would not beep at me to remind me. I don't think I would have ever made it to the executive levels in my career building days if it had not been for effective PDA technologies.. but I digress...

Well. today I "did it again". In a new form.

I wanted to take time to prep my motorcycle for the upcoming season, but I decided to be more "responsible" and take a load of odds and ends that accumulated during the winter, and piled up on my hauling trailer, to the dump. So I fired up the ol' '86 Bronco, hooked up the trailer and battened down the load.

I confirmed online that the North side solid waste transfer station on Elk-Chattaroy was open until 4:30 pm. I was ready to go around 3:30 pm, figuring I had plenty of time.

I made it there just a few minutes before 4:00 pm, and what to my wondering eyes should I see?

The gate was closed! And even a sign on it saying they close at 4:30 pm.
I was quite befuddled. I was about to turn around and leave, and thought to myself, "Now wait a minute, if they closed early, maybe they'll open up if I'm honking my horn." I didn't do that right away, First I grabbed my Treo and hopped online, and verified on their website the time. And so then I called the number only to get voicemail. So I left a message saying who I was, my phone number, and the time of day.

So then I started honking (albeit timidly at first, feeling rather rude to be doing so, but really not wanting to waste such a long trip in the 4 barrel V8 Bronco, not exactly the mileage of my Prius or my motorcyle, or even my minivan).

Well, I was about to leave when a small fleet of large black SUVs came speeding up from the closed side of the gate (I kid you not on the vehicles). I spoke to a person opening the gate to leave, and inquired as to why they closed early. He stated "Sir, it's 5:30 pm".

It then hit me. Oh crud! daylight savings time! DOH!!!!!

I felt like a total schmuck.

As they passed on, I called back the answering system on my phone, and left a short, but clearly apologetic message (I wasn't especially rude or anything, but just felt very foolish, and didn't want someone wasting their time calling me to reaffirm my error).

I then drove back with the full load to park it in front of my house until the next time I can find time to do another run.

DOH! (slaps forehead).

Worse yet, I looked then at the little time indicator in the upper right corner of my phone, and of course IT was correct due to the auto updating of the network.

Anyhow, I am fervently changing the times on my various devices that did not auto adjust (especially with the congressional change implemented last year).

Anyhow, I thought I would just share a little flawed human experience there. ;-)

Cheers!

I figure I need to explain what the heck my "Got Root?" shirt is all about. Some of you may get it right away, but most will probably not. Plus, I have found there is an unintended double entendre for those from "down under".

First off, it's a nod towards the old 80's commercials of "Got Milk?".
Secondly, it's a techie (and hacker) joke in reference to "root" user. This is the administrator account on a computer system, usually a UNIX type (UNIX/AIX/HPUX, Solaris, Linux, Net/Free/Open BSD, etc.).

What I found out a few months ago, was that in Australia, these shirts have caught on for a completely different reason than oddball tech/geek humor.

Apparently "root" is more a reference to "a roll in hay" so to speak, So these shirts are now selling like hot cakes for a completely different reason than they were originally created for. Which, for anyone who knows the old school "hacker" and 2600 mentality (before the media perverted the term to be synonymous with computer criminal), which is trying to understand how things work and finding new uses for, and way to modify, technologies (also for "hacking" away at code to optimize it in the old PDP and mainframe days). So in a way an apropo irony that this "technical shirt" has found a new "use". Maybe I'm the only one who really appreciates that added twist?

Now just to be clear, I bought (and wear) the shirt because of the second (technical) reason. But the third certainly adds as a conversation piece.

Admittedly, I am now a little sheepish about wearing it sometimes (especially at work, though I do it anyway) in public, for fear I might cause someone visiting from Australia, with their child, to suddenly gasp in horror and dismay, and cover their child's eyes.

But then again, maybe I'm being overly imaginative there? And of course, most of the Aussies I've met are no where near as prudish as we tend to be in the "states".

;-P

Cheers!

Well, I just "liked" my Prius previously, now I think I "love" it (only in the way one can care about an inanimate object of course, completely different). ;-)

It saved me from my own foolish self.

I have started working over in Post Falls, about 30 miles from where I live. This is not so bad with my 2006 Toyota Prius because it only uses a little over 1 gallon of gas round trip (60 miles). I typically get between 48-52 mpg driving moderately aggressively between half city and half hwy, that's the overall average. The worst I have ever gotten is around 40-42 mpg in the winters. That is a combination of the winter formula they put in, and putting on my studded tires with the heavier rims too. Also when my ex drove it, she has a nasty lead foot, and would get around 40-42 in the Summer driving like she thought she was Mario Andretti.

I have milked it in the city all day running errands, keeping it below 35 and lots of stop and go, and made it up 75 mpg average.

On a round trip from Spokane to Salt Lake City, Utah and back (using the I-90 route through Missoula Montana and all the passes), driving 65 mph, I ended up for the whole round trip getting 65 mpg!

So, I like the car for that, especially with the gas prices. And the fact that I can fit my tall frame comfortably even on long road trips is mind boggling some times.

But now, it has yet another "protect the user from himself" feature.
Since I'm working in Post Falls, I usually hold off on getting gas for when I'm over there, rather than in Washington. This is because Post Falls is 15 cents cheaper per gallon than in Spokane. That adds up.
So, I left work the previous week on Friday, and forgot to stop in, because I was in a hurry to get home for my kids. The "low fuel" warning went off about midway home. I figured I'd be ok. I then ran some errands over the weekend.

In the morning I was thinking I should probably stop and get gas, but I was  a little late leaving, and didn't want to be late for work, and figured I'd be ok.

I hopped on the freeway, and after a few miles, all of a sudden the engine stopped, a big red exclamation mark showed in my dash, and I was uttering various expletives.

I had completely run out of gas!

During Monday morning rush hour. Ack!

So I quickly maneuvered coasting through traffic to take an off ramp (which went up hill unfortunately). I coasted to the end of the ramp and stopped at the red light, figuring I would have to get out and push when the light changed. There was no gas station in sight.

When the light changed, I figured I'd just try pushing the gas pedal, in the wild hope that maybe the electric mode might kick in (though I've heard people tell me horror stories about running out of gas or battery power with a Prius). I stepped on it, and to my wonderful relief the car took off in pure electric mode no problem, and had no trouble keeping up with traffic (I quickly turned off the heater/blower and radio to conserve power)!

I drove 1.2 miles in pure electric mode to a gas station with still about 1/5th battery power remaining.

Now I was concerned that supposedly once you run it out of gas, you have to have the dealership make it work again. I filled up while crossing my fingers.

I hit the POWER button (that's how you start these cars), and voila! It started right up and immediately started recharging the battery.

I made it to work 5 minutes early too.

Thank you Prius for saving me from my own foolishness!

So, yet another sample of my space cadetness, not exactly impressive, but shows I'm all to human and flawed a mortal being. <sigh> For better or worse. ;-)

Ciao for now!

Well today I finally broke out my motorcycle from storage in my garage.
I cleaned it up, topped off the battery charge, and started her up.
Cleaned and freshly lubed the chain, and washed the bike, including braking out a toothbrush to get some built up grit and such off the chainbars and frames.
Rode it around for a little while on my local streets (lots of grit/gravel alas), so rode very carefully.
I still need to change the oil, plugs, and adjust the chain, then get the Corbin beetle bags remounted (the Givi tail bag is currently on there just fine, it's the mix of trying to make them both mount at the same time that's been challenge).
I hope in the next week or two to get out on the open road for real. Maybe just a few hours at first. Anyone else in the area want to join in on a ride? I'm still relatively new to the area, to any suggestions around here (Spokane area) for the best back roads and sights to see, would be appreciated.
Oh, my bike is a "rice burner" sport touring 2001 Suzuki Bandit 1200. It's been a great bike since I bought it brand new back in California for commuting and "lane splitting", I have ridden it in 13 states and just under 20,000 miles so far, and most of that was from 2001 to 2004.
So far I have ridden completely solo, I hope to finally find friends to ride with now that I've settled down in Spokane.

Here is a link to the various adventures I've had on this bike in many states and weather ranging from -20f (with snow and ice) to over 100f.


My bike near a lake in Oklahoma, circa Fall 2002)

This article and these photos are originally posted September 1st, 2004 or so. The date stamp on this article has changed from server moves and edits made later.

Finally, after all these years, and so many moves, we're at last settling in.

Before marriage, I moved over 30-40 times from when I moved out of my mothers home at 18, until marriage at 25. At one point I moved 21 times in a little over 2 years. Boy my furniture took a beating. :(
And since marriage, we've moved 8 times in 9 years of marriage. We plan to stay here for at least 5-10 years, if not forever. ;)



  The wonderful view from the living room/deck.

It's hard to really appreciate how great this view is with this cheesy old 1998 Sony Mavica Digital camera, but it'll give you a little idea of what a great view we have from up here on the edge of the plateau facing the hills and mountains to the north, all covered with so many trees, most of which are evergreens, so it's beautiful year round. ;)

The deck has two parts, long and skinny north part, and wide 16' wide, by 32' long east covered deck. The north deck is about 4.5' wide and 72' long! This shot is from the East side of the north deck. facing northwest.

 

This is from the north deck looking at the back yard to the northwest side of the yard.

click "Read More" link for more pics and descriptions....

This is also from the north deck, taking a shot of the middle of the yard. It's two tiers. The first upper tier is lawn, the slope and second tier are covered with plants, bushes, trees and fruit trees. We have 2 types of apple trees, 2 types of cherry trees, a plum tree, raspberry and blackberry bushes, horseradish, chives and garlic-chives, tulips, oregon grapes, wild roses, yellow showers roses, poppies, and many others I still haven't quite identified already planted and thriving.You'll see the top of a japanese style stairway going down to the lower tier. I plan to create a waterfall on the slope, and build a Zen rock garden, and a Shinto (japanese style) garden complete with pond and little arcing wooden bridge over teh stream. ;)


This is the back of the house viewed from the west side of the upper backyard, facing west to the houses north (back) side).

This is the front of the house (40 years old maple and blue spruce kind of hide it well) from the street, this is the west side of the house.


This is the east side of the house, with drake on the street playing in his truck. We're on a dead end cul-de-sac, so very little traffic, and a number of kids from 3 years old to 13 years old for the boys to play with.